Burton



WM. E. wARBURToN, oF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. ,f

HAT.

Specification of lLetters Patent No. 12,173, dated January 2, 1855.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. WAR- BURToN, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented a new and useful improvement'in the form of rims or brims of hats by which additional strength with much less weight of material, greater exibility, softness, andl elasticity to the part of the hat surrounding the head of the wearer, and a more becoming and beautiful appearance is given to the same than when formed in the ordinary manner; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had. to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a top or birds-eye view of a hat made in the improved form. Fig. 2, is a front elevation of ditto. Fig. 3, is a transverse section of ditto. Fig. 4, is a longitudinal section -of ditto.

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improve- Inent consists in corrugating, grooving or channelling the rims or brims of silk and other hats worn by males and as riding hats by females, in such a manner as to impart to the same an increased degree of strength, and thereby materially lessen their weight, and the quantity of gum shellac or other stitening material usually employed, beside giving an elastic flexibility to the main body of the rim, and the part where it encircles the head of the wearer, and otherwise embellish the hat in appearance and make it more comfortable and better adapt it to the head and to the purposes for which it is designed than when formed in the ordinary shape with the 'great body of material neces'- sarily employed to give it the required degree of strength.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to more fully describe its form and the benefits arising therefrom.

In constructing the ordinary formed hat a greater proportionate body of felt and gum shellac or other stiifening material is worked into the rim than in the body or crown or upper part of the hat, in order to give to the former part (which, being constantly handled, is most likely to lose its beauty of shape) the required strength to- "withstand the wear to which it is subjected.

the rim not only makes the hat disagreeably heavy, but by adding to its stiffness, makes it uncomfortable to the head and difficult to conform to its shape, and likely to pro- This increased bulk of felt and shi-.113.01111 duce head ache or other unpleasant sensay tions with the wearer. To remedy these defects, Aand at the Same time add to the beauty and finish of the hat, I' at first simply form the rimvof the same, of about the same thickness and proportionate body of material 'and stifening as the body, crown B, or upper part of the hat, and of the ordinary or most vapproved shape, except in the particulars that it shall be at the time the corrugations are formed slightly raised or arched beyond the curve it usually assumes at the front and back part, immediately next where itjoins the body or crown of the hat, in order to give it the proper brace or set at these parts, and slightly curved or depressed downward at the sides next the body in such a manner that the curvature or arching at the sides, and front and back, shall act against each other and thus tend to give a brace or set to the rim, which will tend to keep it, at all times to its proper shape. After being prepared in this manner and slightly curled Vor not on its sides, as the taste of the hatter may dictate, the rim of the hat is placed on a hollow form, base or plate, either heated or not as desired, and properly grooved or channelled on its upper surface on which,

formed tool, or by Weights, having convex ridges o'n their lower surfaces to correspond with the grooves or channels in the surface of the form or base, or by any other convenient means, the corrugations, grooves or channels are imparted to the rim. These corrugations, grooves or channels, may be either of an oval form, parallel and concentric to each other as represented in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, or they may be formed on radial lines extending from the lower part of the periphery of the body, crown or upper part of the hat, to the outer edge of the rim, or in fact may be shaped in such a manner as to give to the rim the greatest degree of strength, and the mostbecoming and pleasing effect in appearance, but it is believed that the oval forms represented and described, besides giving the strength desired in an eminent degree, will from their peculiarly chaste and regular form of curvature in relation to the other prominent lines of the body of the hat.

form a tout ensemble both striking and chaste to the eye.

The front parts of bonnets, composed of felt or othermaterial, may be corrugated in a similar manner to the rims of hats as de-` scribed, for the purpose of giving them the same advantages.

Having thus fully described the nature of my improvement, and the benefits arising therefrom, I Will state in conclusion that Iv do not mean to conne myself to the precise form of corrugations'descrbed and represented as they may doubtless be varied in shape and yet accomplish the ends desired; but

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- Forming the rims of hats with corrugations, channels orA grooves or other ridges of the form described, or other form substantially thereto, for imparting strength, softness and elasticity to the rim, with less weight of felt or other material, and a decreased quantity of stiffening substance of Which it is composed, than is ordinarily employed in forming rims, the said rims being `previously or at the same time such corrugations, grooves or channels are formed, slightlyy raisedor,l arched at the front and back 'parts immediately next the body or crown ofthe hat and depressed or slightly curved downward atv the sides, or not as fancy `or taste-mayV dictate, to give them the l proper brace or set as herein slet forth WM. rJWARBURroN. VVitnesses': t

EDMUND MAHER, y GEORGE W. LINCOLN. 

